


We Don't Share the Same Blood

by anidear



Series: Batman Bingo 2020 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Bruce is an okay parent, Dick is Damian's dad, Fluff with a splash of angst, He's just got other priorities, Mostly just Dick being unable to express his true feelings, No beta we die like mne, Parent/Teacher Conferences, fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anidear/pseuds/anidear
Summary: When Bruce is unable to attend parent/teacher conferences at Gotham Academy with Damian, Dick steps up and takes his place.  The evening ends with ice cream and a revelation that puts to rest a lot of questions Dick has been asking himself.
Relationships: Damian Wayne & Jon Lane Kent (mentioned), Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Batman Bingo 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897684
Comments: 21
Kudos: 483





	We Don't Share the Same Blood

**Author's Note:**

> For my Batman Bingo 2020 card:  
> Ice Cream  
> "You are my dad, right?"

While the idea of having kids and a family one day had always been one that Dick had subscribed to, he had never thought he would take the less traditional path. He always expected to settle down with a partner, maybe marry them, and then have children through conception or surrogacy. Yes, adoption had been an option to consider, but he had always wanted to make sure that his family genes continued through at least one biological child. Not because he wanted his kids to look like him, but because he wanted a piece of his parents to continue on, even when they couldn’t.

He wanted a Grayson to be in the world after he had gone from it. He wanted to be selfish on one thing.

What he hadn’t thought would happen was that at the age of 27, he would be taking custody of the son of the man who had taken him in after his parents had fallen to their deaths. He hadn’t expected to be doing it alone with no one but the man he thought of as a grandfather to guide him. Sure, Bruce hadn’t always been the best father, but Dick had always thought he had done the best he knew how. Mostly. And Dick had always expected to have Bruce to fall back on when he felt like he was drowning in the ocean of parenthood.

But he hadn’t had Bruce. 

It had been him and a child who hadn’t wanted Dick. Damian had wanted Bruce, not a poor substitute in the shape of Dick. And the young Wayne had made it clear from the very beginning that Dick was nothing but an inconvenience. That he wasn’t Bruce and he never would be.

Then things had started to change. Jason stopped trying to kill them and Tim was off trying to find the man they all loved like a father. And Damian stopped fighting Dick every step of the way. He still fought, but he slowly started opening up to the older man and things started to fall into place.

They were good. Dick was happy and Damian was flourishing. He watched the kid go from an angry murderous brat to a haughty self-entitled brat. And then, eventually, Dick started seeing an actual child emerge. And he did everything he could to foster that in Damian. He tried to give him back the childhood that had been stolen from him.

And Damian slowly became a son.

And then Bruce came back.

And Dick felt like his entire world was torn away from him and there was nothing he could do about it. It had hurt. It had burned. And he had punished himself instead of taking it out on Bruce. Because it wasn’t his fault. And it certainly wasn’t Damian’s fault. 

So, Dick had done the only thing he could do. He went back to his apartment and kept his distance so Bruce had the opportunity to become a real father to Damian.

At least until Gotham Academy was calling him stating Damian needed someone to pick him up because he was ill, and Bruce was not answering his phone. Dick had still been listed as a secondary contact and Damian had asked for him over Alfred. And, of course, Dick had dropped everything and gone straight to the school he had once graduated from to pick his brother up from school.

He hadn’t even considered saying he wasn’t able to. Not for Damian. Never for Damian.

And though the kid looked green around the gills, he looked far too grateful when Dick appeared in the doorway of the nurse’s room.

That day Dick had moved himself back to the primary contact for the school and promised Damian that he would always come when his brother called. Always. It didn’t matter what he was doing, if Damian needed him then he would be there. Like he had always tried to be for all of his siblings since he had failed Jason so spectacularly when he had first come to the family.

Damian was different, though.

Outside of the fact that Dick had blurred the lines of brother and parent in his own heart, sometimes he felt like Damian did the same. Like Dick was something more than just another brother. And a part of Dick hoped that was true. Even if the other part of him felt beyond guilty for taking that from Bruce. It wasn’t like his father figure had meant to be taken away from them for a whole year, forcing Dick to step into far too many roles that he had never wanted. Including, “father” for a kid who would have rather been anywhere else.

“Are you even listening to me, Richard?” Damian’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, reminding him where they were and why.

Right. Parent/teacher conferences that Bruce couldn’t be bothered to attend because the League had called on him.

“Sorry, Dami. Got stuck in my head.”

Dick wasn’t surprised to see the teen heave a heavy sigh. “I was explaining that these meetings are droll and pointless. I am performing excellently in all of my courses and I don’t understand why we have to bother.” Snorting out a laugh, Dick reached out and ruffled Damian’s hair.

“It’s so I can hear teacher’s gush about what an amazing student you are.” His words were met with an eye roll before they continued their path to the first classroom. And though Dick knew the teachers would all tell Dick that Damian was a bright kid and was very diligent, he knew they would also tell him that he was not the average middle schooler.

And Dick was well aware of that.

“Well, if it isn’t Dick Grayson,” a somewhat familiar voice called out. Glancing over his shoulder, Dick smiled the familiar face of one of his old academy friends.

“Hunter Blake, how are you?” Dick held out his hand to shake the other man’s but was surprised when the other man ignored it and found himself pulled into a hug instead. It was quick, gentle, and over before Dick could really react but it still caught him off guard. 

“I’m good! What are you doing gracing the halls of Gotham Academy on PT night?”

Glancing down at Damian, Dick was surprised to find the kid smiling brightly. “Uh, I’m here with Damian. Bruce couldn’t make it, so I’m filling in.” Dick shook off the surprise at Damian’s expression just as he had the hug and looked back to Hunter.

“I don’t know why I never put that together. I’m guessing you two are heading to my classroom now?” Hunter looked down to Damian and Dick saw the teen nodding out of the corner of his eyes. “I’m Damian’s art teacher. Come on, I was just dropping off a forgotten purse in the office so I’m heading back that way too.”

“I didn’t realize you ended up teaching here.”

“Well, they certainly love to hire their graduates when they can,” Hunter laughed, and Dick nodded. The trio walked in silence for a few more feet before Hunter was waving an arm toward a room. “This is us. Why don’t you go get your portfolio, Damian, while I talk to Dick?” The teen wasted no time in hurrying off to grab something.

“So art?”

“I enjoyed it as a kid, turns out I’m pretty good at it but not good enough to make a living.” Dick glanced around the room and took in all the art on display and shrugged. 

“You must be good with kids? Damian always talks about his art projects. It’s obviously his favorite class.”

“No one has talent like him. He’s by far my most talented student. Probably the most talented student I’ll ever have.” Dick followed Hunter to a wall of landscapes and immediately he could point out which one was his brothers. The forest behind Wayne Manor was unmistakable but the style was one Dick had framed around his own apartment. “He’s quiet and he’s reserved, but he is an artistic genius. I hope he is encouraged at home to cultivate it?”

“I have numerous pieces framed around my own apartment. I know Bruce has a few in his various offices as well.” If anything, Dick had always worried that they had pushed it too much. But Damian was stubborn and if he didn’t want to do something then he didn’t do it. So if he hadn’t wanted to draw, then he wouldn’t.

Hunter smiled brightly and clapped a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it. I would love to be able to say I have a Damian Wayne original hanging in my classroom one day. I’ll let him show you his portfolio. I’ve got other parents to mingle with.”

“Thanks, Hunter. Good to see you.” Hunter said a _you too_ before turning to approach a mother cooing over her daughter’s work. Looking down to see Damian holding a book in his hands, Dick smiled and moved to sit at one of the desks so his brother could show off. And Dick couldn’t stop the swell of pride in his chest as his brother showed him piece after beautiful piece.

When they had gone through the entire book, Dick smiled at Damian and told him just how amazing everything was and he watched the teen glow under the compliment. As if it meant something coming from Dick. Something more than it would had it come from someone else.

“What do you say to some **ice cream**?”

“That would be an acceptable end to this evening,” Damian agreed after he had returned from putting his portfolio back in it’s place. And Dick couldn’t agree more because ice cream was an acceptable end to just about any evening.

“Richard,” Damian called softly as they walked the street with their individual cones. Dick hummed in response as he watched the other people on the street, enjoying the cool but not cold night air. “Thank you for attending tonight.”

Looking down, Dick smiled. “Of course, Little D. I know I’m not Bruce, but I’ll always be where you need me to be.”

“Yes, you are not Father,” Damian agreed. And though Dick knew that, the words did sting a little. “But in full disclosure, you may not be Father, but you know **you are my dad, right?** ” Freezing in place, Dick stared at Damian as he processed his words. He wasn’t Damian’s father but he was his dad. That is what the teen had said. 

“Dames…” Dick wasn’t sure what to say. Did he tell him that he couldn’t do that to Bruce? Did he thank him? Did he hug him?

“I apologize if I have overstepped, but I thought you should know.” There was an awkwardness to Damian and a slight blush on his cheeks, like he was embarrassed to admit such emotion. It made Dick melt. “I have spoke with Father about this regard and he told me that it was completely understandable, given the time you and I have spent together.” Bruce knew? And he apparently didn’t care. “But I just wanted you to know that you may be my brother on paper, but to me you are more.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Dick finally responded, voice thick with emotion. He wanted to say more, he wanted to gush all of his emotions onto Damian and make sure he knew that Dick felt the same. That no matter what happened, Damian would always be his son. “It means more than you know.”

Nodding his head, Damian looked from Dick to his ice cream cone and then started walking again. “Come, Baba. Jon’s birthday is approaching, and I must find a gift to give him or I will never hear the end of it. You shall aide me on this mission.”

Baba. Dad. 

“Of course, Dames. We wouldn’t want to disappoint a Kent. You’d never survive the puppy dog eyes.” Dick spoke through the happy tears that built in his eyes at the name, following _his son_ down the street to see what the shops could offer.


End file.
